One-pan pork chops yield a restaurant-worthy meal

Why does sophisticated food always have to be complicated?

Trick question; it doesn’t.

Case in point, these pork chops. You quickly sear the chops up, and finish by making a rich, creamy, leek pan sauce in the same skillet you used to brown the chops in. The seared chops then finish cooking in the sauce, and you have a one-dish meal that you might be pleased to have served up to you at a restaurant.

PAN-SEARED PORK CHOPS WITH MADEIRA AND LEEK CREAM SAUCE

Makes 4 servings

Bring the pork chops to room temperature and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat and sear the chops without moving them until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes on each side (they will not be fully cooked, but still pink in the middle). Transfer the pork chops to a plate, and tent with foil to keep warm.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, and add the shallots and leeks to the pan. Saute for 10 minutes until they are tender and golden brown. Turn the heat back up to medium-high, add the Madeira, thyme and rosemary, and scrape to release any bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken broth and cream and bring to a simmer, then return the pork chops to the pan, nestling them into the sauce among the leeks, and continue to simmer until the pork is just cooked through, with a hint of pink in the middle, to an internal temperature of 145 degrees, about 3 more minutes. The sauce will have reduced and thickened a bit.

Let the chops sit in the sauce for a couple of minutes off of the heat. Serve them with the starch of your choice, with the leek sauce ladled over the top of the pork. Finish with a sprinkle of parsley, if desired.

655 calories, 55 g protein, 8 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 4 g sugars, 42 g fat (20 g saturated), 213 mg cholesterol, 238 mg sodium